Netflix Examines Types Of Spoilers

Netflix shared some new survey results about spoilers today based on a poll by Harris Interactive.

“Everyone has an opinion about them,” a Netflix spokesperson said in an email. “They’ve existed since the beginning of storytelling but lately they’ve taken on increased stature. In real life and online, viewers, passionate about their shows, couldn’t help themselves from openly talking about them.”

“We’re in the midst of a new golden era of TV. Our beloved characters are being killed off, not every story has a happy ending, and we are falling in love with villains. TV gives us shocks and surprises that make it almost impossible NOT to talk about it.”

The survey shows that one in five Americans say it’s “perfectly fine” to share a major plot twist immediately. Netflix says that number is likely to grow.

“In the past, viewers might have gotten angry,” the spokesperson said. “Today, as TV has gotten more spoil-worthy, and with everyone watching at different times, 76% of Americans say spoilers are simply a fact of life. In fact, almost all of them (94%) say that hearing a spoiler doesn’t make them want to stop watching the rest of a TV series. And 13% report that a spoiler actually makes them more interested in a show they hadn’t seen or weren’t planning to watch.”

Well, it still makes me angry.

Netflix says there are five types of spoilers. Here’s how they define them:

The Shameless Spoiler. The one who’s totally uncensored. As far as they’re concerned, everyone watches on their own schedule, so once something’s out there it’s fair game.

The Power Spoiler. The one who does it for sport. You can count on this frenemy to introduce you to your next TV show, but they’ll be sure to remind you who saw it first.

The Coded Spoiler. The one who’s the master of saying it without saying it. They speak the language of spoilers so fluently, they can sneak them into conversations where only another fan can find them.

The Clueless Spoiler. The one who lives in their own innocent world. If they’ve seen it, everyone else must have too, so it never dawns on them they’ve casually revealed a huge plot twist.

The Impulsive Spoiler. The one so excited they just can’t hide it. They’re thrilled to be talking about their favorite show…so thrilled they gave away the next 3 seasons in a single breath.

There’s even a website where you can find out what kind of spoiler you are. It also talks about spoilers that are in the public domain, and gives you instant access to actual spoilers from shows.

Additional survey findings:

Among those who have spoiled a TV show, the majority (66%) of Americans are Clueless Spoilers, 12% are Impulsive Spoilers, 8% are Coded Spoilers, 5% are Shameless Spoilers, and 3% are Power Spoilers

32% do not feel guilty after sharing a major plot twist.

The majority of viewers (54%) say people should speak in code when talking about major plot twist.

Male colleagues are more likely to spill the beans. Men who have ever spoiled a TV show are more likely than women who have to say they have spoiled a show for their co-workers (42% vs. 26%)